Brush
by Valrygrl
Summary: A human has an exciting brush with the X-men.


Summary: A human has a brush with the X-men  
  
Disclaimer: The characters are not mine except the original character creation who is the protagonist. Marvel owns the rest of them, so you can't sue me :P  
  
Rating:G - Hey, its got no swearing and no sex, what can I say?  
  
She stared at the report on CNN, her eyes riveted to the scene being played out on some street in Manhattan. No matter how many times she saw them. saw the detruction and/ or the glory of their efforts, she couldn't get past the feeling that it was all a dream. There were no mutants when she was growing up- at least not publicly. Now, it seemed that the human race was in the minority and were an outdated bunch of nobodies struggling to be remembered. More and more mutants seemed to be "coming out" so to speak in a weird rendition of the gay revolution she had witnessed in her teen years, and she was afraid that she and so many others had been rendered a useless addition to society. She had nothing against mutants of course, but she couldn't help but be a little intimidated by the power they posessed and the hidden possibilities it held. And these men and women, the faces that had become so familiar to her and the rest of the world, these X-men were perhaps the scariest and most exciting to her of all. It was like a celebrity with a twist. They seemed so in control and at the same time completely surrounded by chaos it was intoxicating. It was the life every child dreamed of, and every adult feared.  
  
The short one with the claws- Wolverine, she thought- flashed up on the screen, his 12 inch blades glinting in the sun as they made short order of one robotic contraption and then another, his face the epitome of feral anger. It took her breath away. Next was the in command brunette, Cyclops he was called. A tangle of brown hair flopped over his forehead as he blasted away at the waves of droids and humans alike. She knew they were defending themselves. She knew they weren't evil. She knew, much like millions of others knew but had trouble convincing those who were closed- midind differently that these mutants weren't there to take over. But it didn't mean she wasn't afraid.  
  
The was a sizzling pop and the feed went blank, Storm she presumed. She leveled her slim black remote with the TV and the screen blinked and went blank in a similar manner as she turned the monitor off. She wasn't going to see much more, and she had to return to work anyhow. Pulling her jacket off the armchair closest to the door she paused briefly to look around at her apartment. This, she supposed, was as good as it was ever going to get for her. A slight smile quirked her lips and she exited the room to lock it behind her.  
  
Travel in New York City was a daily trial. It didn't matter whether there was evil afoot or not, just those who were trying to get somewhere made it a gauntlet to be run by those not faint of heart. There were two sayings -In New York you either ran with the crowd or got run over, and the definition of a split second was the difference between when a light turned green and the guy behind you honked his horn. To both those, she could attest. Scurrying across the street, she didn't notice the thinning crowds around her. All she knew was that she had to get back to her office and so she continued on, head down and coat wrapped tightly around her. It was only a mile walk, and it made her feel good to get the exercise daily.  
  
She turned down a familiar alley to take the back way to the building. It probably wasn't the safest route, but it was the quickest and she did carry mace on her for a reason. As she continued on her journey she started to become aware of the sound of concussions from just ahead. A cold shiver ran down her spine as flashbacks of 9/11 sprung into mind. She had seen the planes hit the towers and ever since had had an overwhelming fear of loud noises and explosions. Most of the time she couldn't even move. Taking a deep breath, she paused and closed her eyes. It was probably just street workers, or the subway. She had to keep going. Chewing her lower lip she hesitantly placed one foot in front of the other and swallowed. She knew she had to keep going. She focused her concentration on her feet and soon found herself matching the pace she had been earlier. However, the concussion blasts were getting louder. Forcing herself to look up she was surprised to see a familiar red blast pierce the sky and moments later the remains of an undoubtedly expensive piece of machinery catapulting towards her at an alarming rate.  
  
With a shriek she jump to the side, pressing her back to the wall, the steel clanging on the ground harshly where she had been standing only moments before. The charred canister clinged as it rolled around and came to rest at her feet and she found herself feeling ill as the features of a mechanical man came into focus.  
  
'Its just a machine. A machine' she told herself silently, trying desperately to choke back another scream and gain control of her facilities. One trembling hand was pressed over her mouth, the other bracing her against the wall trying to hold herself up as she stared the the wreckage at her feet. Hyperventillating, she pushed it out of the way with her toe and pushed herself back into a standing position, staring wildly at the end of the alley where the commotion was still continuing on. Inch by inch she slid towards that end until she was so engulfed by the sounds she was sure it was upon her, though she could see nothing. A hundred feet from the end of the alley and there was a sudden lull in the excitement. There was nothing for a long moment.  
  
And then it happened. Man and machine burst in a flaming ball towards the wall in front of her and a gutteral growl took over the silence of the previous moments. She gasped as she recognised the charred man as the one she had seen on TV only moments ago, claws drawn and all. Shortly behind them came another man whose long trenchcoat fluttered as he moved with the grace of a cat as he loosed a flurry of cards to help his companion. The multiple bursts filled the air with bright lights and popping sounds as they burst and she had to close her eyes for a moment as they exploded like a million lightbulbs before her eyes. Blinking she reopened them a moment later trying to regain her bearings.  
  
In a daze she stared at the scene before her unable to believe what was going on. As everything started to sink in she became aware of a new presence in the alley. It was another machine man similar to the one that had free fallen at her before and it was going towards the pair of men who were grappling with one of its counterparts.  
  
"Look out!" she found herself shouting and she looked wildly for anything to help. She settled on a pipe on the ground which she threw at the machine and watched as it bounced harmlessly away. A new fear settled on her however as it turned its unfeeling eyes on her.  
  
'Threat detected' The cold metallic voice did nothing to help her nerves as it began is descent upon her. She backed into a wall and pressed herself to it, wishing desperately she could become a part of it.  
  
"Non!" came the accented voice and there was a wild flash of energy and in moment of pure De Ja Vu she found the head rolling at her feet once more. Gasping for breath she looked up at her savior, her heart catching in her throat as she met his eyes. Red on black, they bore into hers as he strode towards her, trenchcoat swirling around his long, lean body. "You alrigh' chere?" he asked reaching out a gloved hand to her. She stared at the proffered hand a moment, trying to gather her wits and then reached out and grabbed it pulling herself upright once more. Mutely she shook her head and the nodded it, both ok and not at the same time. How could she answer that question? A slight smirk played across his face, but understand alighted it as well. Turning to his friend he cursed and she peered around his shoulder to see the burly man unconcious on the ground. She gasped, was he dead?  
  
The tall stranger let go of her hand and returned to the other's side, kneeling to assess the damage. Silently she crept up behind him and jumped back as he stood swiftly and turned to her, "He be alrigh', but his healing fact'r needs time ta take care o' him" His eyes narrowed and he pinned a gaze on her, "D'ya have a place we c'n use?"  
  
"I have an apartment a few blocks that way" she pointed down the alley, finally able to find her voice, "You can use that" He nodded and touched just above his left breast inside his trenchcoat  
  
"Cyclops, Wolverine is down for de count. We have shelter but we need transportat'n. C'n ye send Angel or Rogue?"  
  
"Copy Gambit. Angel is on his way" came the strong voice back. Almost before transmission ended the was the flutter of wings and a brief, but violent wind swooshed through the alley around then. She gaped upwards as an incredibly beautiful man with blue skin and white wings descended upon them  
  
"Gambit" he said, acknowledging his teammate and then turning to the fallen man. With a long suffering sigh he grabbed the shorter man under the arms, "Can't he ever not get seriously injured?" Gambit chuckled  
  
"He gets back to de mansion everytime, non? Per'aps if we start leavin him, he start watching his back a little more" The other man grunted as he lifted their fallen teammate  
  
"I think thats a viable option. His damned adamnatium skeleton is throwing out my back"  
  
She watched their interaction with curiousity and wonder. For two men who had just been fighting for their lives, they certainly were being casual.  
  
"Chere, where to?" the one known as Gambit asked. Clearing her throat she pointed to a building a few blocks back  
  
"There. You can take him to the roof and we'll meet you in a few minutes I guess" she responded and the winged man nodded. Jumping, he caught brushed the air with long strokes of his winds and managed to take off on an updraft of his own creation. She let out a long breath, it was quite the sight to see. Turning back to the only other person left she beckoned him to follow her, "Come. We should hurry" He nodded and they jogged back the way she had entered what seemed like a lifetime before, though had in actuality only been a few minutes. As they reentered the streets they slowed to a brisk walk, not wanting to draw any attention to themselves. The return was silent but purposeful. He wasn't going to ask questions yet and she wasn't going to answer them. She fumbled with her keys at the front of her building and then again at her door, pushing it open before running down the hall to open the door to the roof.  
  
The winged man half carried half dragged their companion in her door and she directed him towards her bedroom where he could rest on her bed and regain conciousness. Shaking she looked around at the sterility of her apartment and was filled with the urge to tear it all apart to match her psyche. Instead, she picked her phone up and dialed it with trembling fingers to tell her boss she was ill and wouldn't be able to make it in for the afternoon. As she dropped it back into its cradle she felt how true that statement was and summarily rushed for the bathroom to empty the contents of her stomach into her waiting toilet.  
  
When she had regained her composure and scrubbed her teeth she rejoined the other two men in her living room, noting their concerned looks.  
  
"Are you alright?" asked the one with wings -Angel she reminded herself.  
  
"Now I am" she answered with a crooked smile. The other man chuckled from his seat at her kitchen table. From his long-legged sprawl it appeared he was already making himself comfortable, "Can I got you boys anything to drink?" she asked. The two glanced at each other with something akin to amazement  
  
"Uh, can I have some water?" asked Angel again and she nodded, pulling a glass from her cupboard.  
  
"Do you need to...uh..call anyone?" she asked, not sure if they would need a phone or what. Gambit slapped himself upside the head  
  
"Mon Dieu, Scott's prob'ly shitting a brick sideways" He touched inside his jacket again and the other man tried to cover his laugh as he hailed their leader, "Cyc, we got to th' apartment an' everyone is safe"  
  
"Good work Gambit. Call when Wolverine's ready to return and we'll send a mini-jet"  
  
"Copy dat" She chuckled at the exchange, and he gazed at her, an amused look on his face, "Care to tell whats so funny?"  
  
"Oh", she sighed, "My brother and I used to have a pair of walkie talkies when we were children. We played with them all the time and the way you were speaking to him reminded me of that" He smiled and nodded, and she couldn't help but notice how attractive he was. His mop of reddish brown hair fell roguishly across his forehead and into his eyes, his lips-not too thin but not really full- pulled back in a very boyish grin. Something about his demeanor- the way he sat, the way he moved so gracefully, the way he smiled- told her he was not one gamble with. His companion was another story however.  
  
Glancing over at him she took in the startling contrast in his appearance. Broad where Gambit was narrow, he had the all american good looks every woman dreamed of in a very appealling face and demeanor. He was, in fact, breathtakingly beautiful and the fact that he was blue skinned did not take away from that. His lips were generous and well proportioned to the rest of his chiseled face, his shoulders and chest well muscled beneath his suit, his waist narrow and well...she wouldn't continue on down.  
  
She blushed slightly as she pulled a chair out from the table and sat down. She knew she wasn't ugly, but she was a far cry from the caliber of women she had seen with the X-men. She was well proportioned, but had a soft body from lack of hard use. Sure, she went to the gym, but not religiously and now she was beginning to feel a bit inadequate in front of these men. She brushed a strand of wavy brown hair behind her ear and regarded the two men once more, "What were those things you were fighting?" she asked. Angel shifted uncomfortably but answered none-the-less  
  
"Sentinels. A little smaller and a little meaner than the originals, but sentinels. We picked up a distress call from a mutant" He snorted in disgust, "It was a decoy. The FOH really just wanted an excuse to pick a fight" She gave a derisive snort as well  
  
"Friends of Humanity my ass" she responded in contempt, "They're only friends of their own pride and bigotry. For the most advanced nation in the world we certainly are filled with a lot of wankers" She glanced at Gambit who laughed a deep, amused laugh from his gut at her response, Angel joining in after a moment of stunned silence  
  
"Chere, Remy wan' to ask you a question" Gambit asked after he recovered and she nodded  
  
"Why did you help me in de alley? I mean, you could have jus' left Remy and Wolverine to die, but you din'. Why not?" his strange eyes bore into her own and she could feel herself flush under his scrutiny. Glancing down at the table she traces a line in the wood with a fingertip  
  
"I guess...Oh hell, I don't know. I guess I just can't see wasting life in any of its forms. Regardless of whether you're a mutant or not, you're still made of the same stuff us humans are. You're just a step ahead" she said with a shy smile, "Theres too much death in this world as it is. If I can ease some of that suffering then I will" He seemed to ponder her response for a moment and then nodded, seemingly satisfied with her answer.  
  
The three talked and shared various stories for the next few hours as the two waited for their friend to recover his injury. Finally, as they were getting into the four hour they heard a groan and a thump from within her bedroom, followed by a ragged looking man dragging himself into the den attached to the kitchen  
  
"Anyone get the number of that bus?" came the gruff voice and Gambit chuckled beside her  
  
"It was FOHSUX Mon ami" he responded and the burly man grunted in what she assumed to be an amused reply. She gave him a once over as well and found that beneath his rather rugged and roughed up exterior he was rather attractive as well. In that moutain man, I'm communing with nature but am too macho to admit it sort of way, but attractive none-the-less. No visible fat, probably as thick as he was tall and wild hair that stuck out everywhere. He lifted his gaze and pinned his blue/gray eyes on her  
  
"You the owner of this place?" he asked, his rough voice fitting his loks perfectly. Mutely she nodded and he staggered over to her reaching out a hand for her to shake, "Thank you. I don't know that I would have made it without your help" She placed her much smaller hand in his and shook it, smiling up at his weathered face  
  
"My pleasure. Though, from the stories these two tell, you should probably be a little more careful about how much you let people rough you up. They're threatening to leave you on the street now" Something tugged at the corner of his mouth and his eyes twinkled  
  
"That so?" Was the only response she got.  
  
"A mini-jet is enroute mes amis. We need ta' meet dem on da roof. I t'ink its Stormy drivin" Logan groaned and Angel shook his head  
  
"Would it be rude of me to decide to fly home on my own?" he asked  
  
"She may know how to control weather currents, but damned if she can fly a plane" grunted Logan. Gambit shook his head and stood up  
  
"She's not dat bad.."  
  
"She's worse" finished Angel and Wolverine in unison and she dissolved into giggles. The men all graced her with their rather impish smiles and then stood to leave her once more. Each shook her hand and thanked her before exiting her apartment and leaving her, once more, to the solitude of her normal life.  
  
She looked around at the slightly dissarayed kitchen, glasses still on the table and chairs pushed out, a wave of loneliness washing over her. She forgot for a few hours just how bland her life really was. Now, it was back to the silence she had grown so accustomed to. She didn't want to face it. Grabbing her coat once more she pulled it on and left her apartment for the club downtown. Tonight, she was going to meet life once more.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
A few days later flowers came to her doorstep with a card enclosed. Neatly printed were the words, "To our true Friend of Humanity, Thank you for your help and generosity. You are always welcome in our home, Your friends at the Xavier Institute - The X-men"  
  
Long after the flowers died and the full memory faded she kept that card. She kept it as a reminder of what was and what she became, how she opened her life to strangers and allowed them to help her change. And above all, she kept it to remember how she first brushed with something great and far more important than herself. 


End file.
